This invention relates generally to office panel systems, and more particularly, to an apparatus for holding and separating cables within an interior chamber therein.
The cable management apparatus may be used with a wall panel system of a type described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,835, the disclosure of which is specifically incorporated herein by reference.
Movable interior wall panel systems are frequently used in the office environment to subdivide a room into a variety of work stations. The number and configuration of these work stations can vary greatly depending on the requirements of a business or the needs of a particular worker. The flexibility provided by such a system also allows reconfiguration of the work stations to accommodate changing business conditions, personnel, or work processes.
In using wall panel systems, it is essential to provide electrical and communication service to the work stations. It is also desirable to house the various cables within the panel systems to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the office environment. Many wall panel systems incorporate modular, easily accessible, internal electrical distribution systems for supplying electrical power. However, communication and data cables servicing telephones, fax machines, computers, computer modems, and the like are often loosely laid inside these systems and tend to become entangled.
The disorganization of the cables which typically results can increase the cost of reconfiguring work stations or changing the work processes of a given work station. To do this, an electrician spends time searching through a bundle of cables to reassemble them in the desired arrangement.
The present invention is an attempt to overcome this deficiency by providing an apparatus which holds and separates cables for ready identification and access upon reassembly.